John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 2/10/2020

Happy Birthday to Lenny Dykstra and Bobby Jones.  Now, let’s hit the links:

The Mookie Betts to Boston trade is back on.  Per MLB Trade Rumors: “The Dodgers and Red Sox have once again agreed to a trade that will send outfielder Mookie Betts and lefty David Price to the Dodgers, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The Red Sox will include $48MM to cover half of the remaining salary on David Price’s contract. In this updated version of the deal, Alex Verdugo, minor league shortstop Jeter Downs, and catching prospect Connor Wong comprise the package heading to Boston.”

NBC Sports Boston had: “Get to know Red Sox prospects Jeter Downs and Connor Wong, acquired in Mookie Betts trade.”

Per Fox Sports: “The Minnesota Twins agreed Sunday to send bullpen prospect Brusdar Graterol to the Los Angeles Dodgers for starting pitcher Kenta Maeda, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal, five days after the initial Betts-headlined trade with the Red Sox was held up. The Twins also agreed to send one of their draft picks in the competitive balance round this summer — 67th overall — and a minor leaguer to the Dodgers for $10 million and a minor leaguer to settled their portion of the trade.”

Per MLB Trade Rumors: Joc Pederson To Angels Trade Falls Through.

Bloomberg.com broke this story Sunday Afternoon: “NY Mets Said to Be for Sale With No Preconditions on Control.” Scott Soshnick goes on to say “No preconditions regarding control of the team will be attached to the upcoming sale, meaning whoever buys the Mets will likely assume control immediately from the Wilpon family, according to a person familiar with the matter. By showing a willingness to cede the control issue at the outset, the Wilpons may actually reap more than the Major League Baseball-record $2.6 billion that Cohen had agreed to pay, according to sports consultant Marc Ganis.”

Michael Wacha told SNY.TV that he is excited about Spring Training: "This spring feels a little different, for sure," Wacha said. "I feel very healthy, very strong. I guess in 2018 knocked me out with that oblique injury, and that kind of carried over into the offseason where I was training and rehabbing that oblique all the way through the offseason in 2018-2019, and heading into Spring Training. It was nice to have a good offseason where I was fully healthy, fully recovered, and really got some good work done." 

John Harper of SNY.TV had the 5 most intriguing Mets stories this spring: 1) All Eyes on Rojas;  2) How Does Cespedes Look? 3) Who's The Closer? 4) Six Starting Pitchers, Five Spots 5) The Polar Bear Effect (How Pete Alonso continues to grow as a leader could be vital for the 2020 Mets).

Ken Davidoff looked at the Mets and Yankees new analytical pitching coaches saying: “Y ankees, Mets going all-in on the baseball evolution.” He had this quote from new Mets Pitching Coach, Jeremy Hefner: “I just think the gap between adjustments is a lot shorter now,” Hefner said. “Instead of month-to-month or season-to-season or half-season-to half-season, it could be game-to-game, or at-bat to at-bat. The onus is on players to make that adjustment, to actually execute on the adjustment, but the identification of the need for an adjustment is much more readily available.”

Brian Joura of Mets 360.com looked at “The Mets and Phillies and where they are on the success cycle.”

Metsmerized Previewed the Philadelphia Phillies.

Tim Boyle of Rising Apple says: Luis Guillorme, Jake Marisnick could help keep Dominic Smith around. “These two gifted defenders are important to the Mets because each can play a variety of positions and do it well.”

Reflections on Baseball says: “This can no longer be fun or challenging for Brodie Van Wagenen.”

Metsmerized had: Getting to Know Spring Training Invitee, RHP Erasmo Ramirez. Under Key numbers they note: “Unfortunately, Ramirez has some weak numbers, especially recently. First his numbers in the international league: 125.1 innings pitched, 4.74 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 95:43 K:BB. But in his last two years at the major league level, he has pitched only 48.2 innings and has a bloated 6.84 ERA. Overall through eight seasons, he is 32-39 with a 4.40 ERA.”

213 Miles From Shea looked at What Happened with the 2019 Non-Roster invitees.  Elliot Teichman goes over the full list of last year’s invitees from Pete Alonso to Tim Tebow.

Speaking of Tim Tebow: Athlete Tim Tebow and his wife, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, kicked off the sixth annual Night to Shine for people with special needs this week.

12up.com said: “MLB Insider Jon Heyman Suggests Red Sox Will Receive 'Far Less Serious' Punishment Than Astros for Sign-Stealing.”

Baseball Cards come to life looked at the 1981 Topps Larry Hisle Card.

Per Yahoo Sports: Mo’ne Davis, the star of the 2014 Little League World Series, made her collegiate softball debut for Hampton University in a 15-4 win over North Carolina AT&T on Saturday. Then 13 years old, Davis stole headlines when she became the first girl to pitch a shutout at the LLWS for her Philadelphia squad. She was also the first African American girl to play in the tournament.

Mack’s Blast From the Past comes from February 10, 2012 – Mack said “I May be wrong but…” while looking at Johan Santana and former Mets prospect Lance Broadway. 

Per Ultimatemets.com:

Born on this date:

• Sherman Jones (1935)
• Lenny Dykstra (1963)
• Bobby Jones (1970)
• Alberto Castillo (1970)
• Travis d'Arnaud (1989)

Transactions:
New York Mets purchased Ron Taylor from the Houston Astros on February 10, 1967.

New York Mets traded Alex Trevino, Greg Harris and Jim Kern to the Cincinnati Reds for George Foster on February 10, 1982.

New York Mets signed free agent Howard Johnson on February 10, 1997.

Arizona Diamondbacks signed Felix Heredia of the New York Mets as a free agent on February 10, 2006.

Chicago Cubs signed Scott Hairston of the New York Mets as a free agent on February 10, 2013.

New York Mets sold Gabriel Ynoa to the Baltimore Orioles on February 10, 2017.

Want more?  Check out https://sportspyder.com/mlb/new-york-mets/news. 

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